Blanket of Awesome

This blanket has got to be the hardest, most rewarding piece I've ever made and gifted. Possibly second to the Sierpinski Carpet blanket, but they're close.  It's lovely, awesome, amazing, took ever-so-many hours and then some, and came out absolutely gorgeous.  I will likely make another one for one other friend's wedding, if she gets married someday, and may someday make one for me as well.  I loved the yarn I used, however, and getting more of that, especially at the price I got it at, would be difficult.  This is one yarn that, if I do manage to find it again, would buy 120 more skeins in a heartbeat for two more blankets.  This was the absolute perfect marriage of yarn and pattern, and for the amount of yarn required, highly inexpensive!

This was for a friend's wedding in August (of 2009). I spent most of my vacation in July and a good portion of the first part of my travels in the US working on it.  The edging took a heck of a lot more time than I'd've thought, considering how long everything else took!  It may have also been because I'd seamed all the blocked panels and was thoroughly finished with working on the huge, warm pile of wool in my lap in August, and so was slower than I could/should have been.

I cannot describe my love for this yarn enough.  It is so warm but light and gives great cable definition with a soft halo from the cashmere content, it is thin yet does what it needs to, and is just perfect all around.  This amazing wool/cashmere yarn was on sale when I got it for a mere $2/skein.  Yes, $2/skein at a New Year's sale in Tokyo.  Well, $20 for a bag of 10 skeins.  I estimated 60 skeins for the project, and used 54, absolutely perfect.  Had I realized how amazing this stuff was, yes, I would have spend $500 right then and there and gotten enough for two blankets in white and one in charcoal, probably, and maybe even an extra blanket's worth, just in case.

Pattern: Burridge Lake Aran Afghan (Rav)
Yarn: Cashmere Wool Nature, 53.5 skeins

Needles: US7/4.5mm
Timeframe: February 1 - August 15, 2010
Mods: Some.  I wanted a queen-sized bedspread, so I lengthened the panels (22 repeats for Panel B and 33 for the side panels).  I also designed additional panels to complete the bedspread, which I am planning to write up nicely and offer for anyone else who wants to do the same.  I think the new panels complement the rest of the amazing design well.

Love, love, love the way this turned out.  Absolutely love it.